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Rob Ford casts lone vote against proposal to help gay homeless youth

The 37-1 vote comes just a day after Ford refused to stand during a council ovation for the organizers of the World Pride festival.

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Rob Ford told reporters he's a 'spendaphobe' when asked if he's homophobic after voting against an LGBT youth shelter. The Toronto mayor made the comment before meeting with the federal finance minister to renew a gas tax fund.(CP)

Mayor was the only member of council to vote Thursday against a proposal to find ways to better assist homeless young people who are gay. The proposal passed 37-1.

Ford, who has a long history of homophobic remarks and opposition to gay initiatives, placed a temporary “hold” on the proposal Tuesday to prevent it from passing unanimously without a vote. He did not explain his opposition.

The vote came a day after Ford refused to stand during a council ovation for the organizers of the World Pride festival. He said later that he is “not homophobic,” but he would not explain why he did not join in the applause.

“The mayor is homophobic,” said , the only openly lesbian or gay member of council. “He’s consistent. He’s done everything he can to demonstrate this is a community he doesn’t care about . . . I think he’s voting with his values, and his values are he doesn’t support the LGBT community.”

The three-part proposal asks the city’s shelters chief to look into allocating 25 per cent of beds in an existing youth shelter to people who identify as LGBTQ2S (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirited).

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, seen at a city council meeting Thursday, was the only councillor to vote against a motion to provide shelter space for LGBTQ2S youth. (Bernard Weil / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Two police officers visited the office of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at City Hall in February after Rob Ford demanded that the rainbow flag be taken down. (Toronto Star file photo)

It also asks the city to issue a call for expressions of interest in operating a shelter or transitional housing for gay youth, and requires the city to provide anti-homophobia training to all shelter employees.

In a 2013 survey, 21 per cent of people in youth shelters told city researchers they are part of a sexual minority. Research suggests family conflict and rejection make gay young people particularly susceptible to homelessness.

They face unique difficulties in shelters, such as homophobia and physical abuse. The city has acknowledged the current system may not be able to address their specialized issues.

“We have a shelter system that the LGBT youth community does not feel comfortable in,” Wong-Tam said. “They would rather be on the streets than in the shelter system. We need to ensure the services the city provides are going to be accessible to all, free from discrimination.”

The city’s shelters chief had recommended calling for potential shelter operators, while the community development committee added the other two recommendations at Wong-Tam’s request.

Ford has barely concealed his antagonism to the gay community. While insisting he is not homophobic, he has become more open about his feelings recently — drawing accusations that he is attempting to bait anti-gay voters.

He used a homophobic slur to describe Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in the 2013 “crack video.” He made an unsuccessful effort this winter to get the city to take down the rainbow Pride flag it raised during the Olympics.

He admitted he skips the Pride festival out of personal preference, not strictly because of his schedule. His campaign manager, Councillor , ranted at length about the “buck naked men” who compose a small percentage of the marchers at Pride. And in an intoxicated rant recorded in April, the mayor said he would not vote for former PC leader Tim Hudak because Hudak agreed with “all the gays” on the flag issue.

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